On This Day in 1998, Garth Brooks Released the Wildly Successful Album That Broke a Sales Record Set by Pearl Jam

On this day (November 17) in 1998, Garth Brooks released Double Live. Brooks recorded the album on his 1996-1998 world tour. The original release featured live versions of his biggest hits at the time. It also featured duets with Trisha Yearwood and Brooks’ fellow country artist Steve Wariner.

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The legendary grunge band Pearl Jam set a major sales record with their 1993 sophomore album Vs. After an incredibly successful debut release and extensive tour, the album sold 950,378 copies in its first week, setting a first-week sales record. The band held that record for a little more than five years. Then, Brooks released Double Live.

[RELATED: On This Day in 1993, Pearl Jam Debuted at No. 1 With an Album That Set a Massive Sales Record]

Brooks’ live album sold 1.08 million in its first week, breaking Pearl Jam’s record. Moreover, it broke the single-week sales record set by the soundtrack from The Bodyguard, which sold 1.06 million in a single week. Later, Double Live became the best-selling live album of all time in the United States. It has since been certified 23x Platinum by the RIAA.

The album was also a massive chart success. It topped the Billboard 200 for five weeks. It also spent eight weeks at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart.

Garth Brooks Reflects on Double Live

Double Live wasn’t just a massive chart and sales success. It also gave fans a way to connect with Garth Brooks during his long hiatus. “I’ll put it right next to No Fences of what it’s done for my career,” Brooks said during a press conference. “I love that record.”

During the press conference, Brooks revealed the moment he realized how important the album had been to his career. “We did a thank you concert for Walmart in Kansas City that turned into multiple nights. The first night, you go out there, and you’ve been a soccer dad for ten years, you’re way overweight,” he recalled. When he performed “Callin’ Baton Rouge,” a song that he performs differently from the studio version. The crowd sang along with the song, nailing the subtle differences. “It hit me at that moment–that’s how all these people know this stuff. A lot of them weren’t born yet when we were touring last or weren’t able to buy a ticket last time,” he explained. “So when you see that happen, you realize that Double Live record is crazy.”

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